Judge Questions A$AP Rocky & Rihanna’s Status Ahead Of Gun-Assault Trial
A$AP Rocky’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, is standing by him as his gun assault trial kicks off on January 21.
The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was arrested in April 2022 in connection to a November 2021 shooting involving his former friend, Terell Ephron (aka A$AP Relli). Rocky is accused of firing a gun at Ephron but has pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
On Wednesday, January 15, after jury selection began, Tacopina made it clear that Rocky expects to win. According to Rolling Stone, prosecutors are offering a final plea deal, but Tacopina said Rocky isn’t interested. “He’s eager to tell his story. He would love the opportunity to do so,” Tacopina said. “He’s very articulate, very intelligent. He’s a good human being, and that would come out if he testifies. But that’s a decision that has not been made yet. It depends [on] how the case goes.”
Security footage of the parking garage confrontation between Rocky and Ephron was shown in court in 2023, but it didn’t include the alleged shooting. Tacopina argued that this supports Rocky’s case. “There’s a reason that 10 police officers searched and didn’t find shell casings there,” he said. “[It’s] not because they were blind or drunk or because they didn’t want to find it. It’s because they did a thorough job.”
Tacopina also said Rocky feels “confident” about the trial and is ready to move forward. “He believes in justice, and he believes this is going to work out for him,” the lawyer said. “The case against Rocky is fundamentally weak. It relies on testimony from people who are not credible. I believe the defense is very, very strong.”
Tacopina mentioned that Rocky wants to keep Rihanna, the rapper’s “common law” wife, out of the trial. “I know Rocky is very protective of Rihanna and doesn’t want her anywhere near this proceeding,” he said. “But that’s a family decision they’ll make.”
During a court hearing, the judge asked how to refer to Rihanna. “Is it his girlfriend or his wife?” Tacopina clarified that Rihanna is Rocky’s “common law wife or just wife.” Prosecutors disagreed, saying they prefer she be called his “significant other” or “the mother of his children” since they aren’t legally married.
In the end, the judge agreed that if they aren’t legally married, Rihanna wouldn’t be referred to as his wife.
